The Best Big Colleges
These are the top ranked large, public and private, four-year colleges in the United States as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment of 20,000 or more. Leading the list for 2027 is Harvard University. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Sam Houston State University
- Public 4 Year
- Huntsville, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 21,039 total enrollment
Sam Houston State is a large public university known for undergraduate criminal justice and forensic science. The main campus is in Huntsville in the piney woods of East Texas.
- SAT Range 930-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $14,737
California State University Fullerton
- Public 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- 43,662 total enrollment
Cal State Fullerton is a large public university known for undergraduate business, communications, and education. The suburban campus sits in northern Orange County.
- SAT Range 1000-1180
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $7,064
Kent State University at Kent
- Public 4 Year
- Kent, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 26,374 total enrollment
Kent State is a large public university known for undergraduate fashion design, journalism, and education. Most undergrads study on a residential campus in the college town of Kent.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $21,278
Brigham Young University Idaho
- Private 4 Year
- Rexburg, ID
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- 45,585 total enrollment
BYU-Idaho is a private university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The campus is in Rexburg, a small college town in eastern Idaho.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $8,528
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- Public 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- 22,450 total enrollment
UWM is a large public university known for undergraduate architecture, nursing, and freshwater sciences. The urban East Side campus sits near Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,263
California State University Sacramento
- Public 4 Year
- Sacramento, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 31,943 total enrollment
Sacramento State is a large public university known for undergraduate government, criminal justice, and business. The urban campus sits along the American River in California's capital city.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $10,110
Liberty University
- Private 4 Year
- Lynchburg, VA
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- 104,327 total enrollment
Liberty is a private Christian university known for undergraduate aviation, nursing, and business. The Lynchburg campus sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- SAT Range 1040-1250
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $29,532
California State University Fresno
- Public 4 Year
- Fresno, CA
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- 24,427 total enrollment
Fresno State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, viticulture, and business. Students attend classes on a large campus in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 890-1100
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $7,834
University of Memphis
- Public 4 Year
- Memphis, TN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 20,276 total enrollment
University of Memphis is a large public university known for undergraduate music, business, and journalism. The urban campus is in Midtown Memphis.
- SAT Range 915-1180
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $12,756
California State University Northridge
- Public 4 Year
- Northridge, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 38,313 total enrollment
CSUN is a large public university known for undergraduate film and television, business, and education. The suburban campus lies in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $7,536
Boise State University
- Public 4 Year
- Boise, ID
-
| 0 reviews
- 27,198 total enrollment
Boise State is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus borders the Boise River in Idaho's capital city.
- SAT Range 1030-1210
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,583
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Public 4 Year
- Edinburg, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- 33,881 total enrollment
UTRGV is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and engineering. Campuses span the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $5,282
The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Public 4 Year
- San Antonio, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 35,770 total enrollment
UTSA is a large public university known for undergraduate cybersecurity and business. The main campus sits in northwest San Antonio near the Texas Hill Country.
- SAT Range 1000-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $10,959
California State University Los Angeles
- Public 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 23,163 total enrollment
Cal State LA is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in the hills east of downtown Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 870-1060
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $4,460
Georgia Southern University
- Public 4 Year
- Statesboro, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- 27,423 total enrollment
Georgia Southern is a large public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and logistics. The main campus anchors the college town of Statesboro in southeast Georgia.
- SAT Range 986-1133
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,971
University of the Cumberlands
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsburg, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- 22,120 total enrollment
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small Appalachian town of Williamsburg.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,743
The University of Texas at El Paso
- Public 4 Year
- El Paso, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- 25,039 total enrollment
UTEP is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering. The campus features distinctive Bhutanese-style architecture in El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,305